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Anything automotive may appear here - new car reviews, car shows, editorials on automotive items, working on my cars, just about any automotive topic I want to write about. Your comments are always welcome. I encourage reprinting of my articles providing proper attribution is given and notification is provided. The picture is of Moriarty Bros. "Big Red" 1966 Comet GT. I worked at Moriarty Bros., Manchester, CT way back but had nothing to do with Big Red.

2016 Nissan Altima 2.5 SV

The Nissan Altima is one
of those cars that nobody notices but they are everywhere. It is the kind of
car many auto writers scoff at and call an appliance, as if that is a bad
thing. What
I think these writers mean is that it isn’t a pseudo sports car. Aw gee. One definition of an appliance is a device or
piece of equipment designed to perform a specific task. The Altima, especially in its
4-cylinder models, is a very nice, all-round, 4-door sedan. There is absolutely
nothing wrong with this. Obviously many people agree with me because I see a
ton of Altimas on the road.

I have absolutely no idea what the SV
stands for but the 2.5 denotes a 2.5-liter, DOHC, 4-cylinder engine that in the
Altima makes 182 hp. It is connected to a CVT (Continuously Variable
Transmission) and drives the front wheels. Pretty basic stuff. I used to hate
CVTs (not for any good reason except they are different) but I am to the point
now where I don’t really even notice them.

The Altima with the 2.5 is no barn burner
but it isn’t a slouch either. Buff books put the 0-60 mph times at a tad over 8
seconds. That is more than adequate for most people. (Yeah I know everyone
thinks they are a dragster driver but you’re not.)

When the first Altima was introduced it
was a smaller car. It had a wheelbase of 103.1”; it is now 109” and the total
length has been stretched about ten inches. What was once a tight five
passenger car is now roomy.

I only work part-time so my commute isn’t
every day. But I do drive to Pleasanton and back during rush hour. During my
drive in stop-and-go traffic I really appreciate a comfortable car. I don’t
want to shift gears. The Altima fits the bill. With one exception. And I don’t
know if that’s Nissan’s fault.

The Altima gets traffic alerts. This
would be really handy except they were short on info. The alerts are oral and a
message like “Exit ahead is closed.” Really doesn’t help. Which exit? Or how
about “Traffic accident on I205”? Really? It’s a fairly long stretch of
highway. And just what am I supposed to do? I drove another car that when
traffic on 580 was stalled rerouted me. Now that’s helpful. So I learned to
just ignore the Altima’s warnings.

Nissan has done a nice job of keeping the
Altima fresh. It has the same basic shape for some years but it looks almost
entirely different. The Altima was redesigned three (almost four) years ago and
freshened this year. And it looks like a Nissan (some cars look so generic even
I have a hard time knowing what make they are at first glance).

There are four Altima versions; The
Altima 2.5 ($22,500), Altima 2.5 S ($22,900), Altima 2.5 SR ($24,470), Altima
2.5 SV ($25,460) and Altima 2.5 SL ($28,570). Each model is progressively
better equipped. Then of course there are the 3.5-liter V6 versions. The V6 ups
the horsepower by eighty-eight, a significant number. It also decreases the
fuel economy by up to 7 mpg, also a significant number. And it ups the price.
Frankly, and I can’t believe I’m writing this, I’d opt for the 2.5.

The fuel economy of the 2.5 varies a bit
depending on model but highway numbers are 37-39 mpg. That is darn good for a
4-door sedan you can comfortably fit five people into. The fuel tank holds 18
gallons so figuring a fill up of around 15 gallons (so you don’t run on fumes)
you’ll be stopping for bio-breaks long before the Altima needs gas.

Even though the Altima had overly large tires
in my opinion (215/55R17) it didn’t have the slam-bang ride of many cars with
low profile tires. The ride was relatively smooth especially considering how
terrible some of California’s roads are.

The trunk holds 15.4 cubic feet of stuff.
For calculation an average carry-on bag is about 1.6 cubic feet so about 9+
carry-ons. The liftover height into the trunk is just under 27”. If you need
extra storage the rear seat is a 60/40 split that opens up into the trunk.

Given the number of older Altimas I see
on the road (a totally unscientific survey) they seem to last. You know, like
an appliance that you don’t need, or want, to replace every year. An appliance
doesn’t have to be boring. But if boring gets you back and forth to work, takes
you and the family on vacation and is reliable I’d take it. And I’m not saying
the Altima is boring.

I have been writing car reviews and whatever interests me in the automotive world since 1984. I have been a certified automotive technician since 1977. I worked for twenty years for the California Department of Consumer Affairs & Bureau of Automotive Repair. I sat on three legislative advisory committes. I currently write an automotive column for the Tracy Press - In The Driver's Seat. I have been a member of the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada and and am a member of the Western Automotive Journalists.